Ministry of Women and Child Development
Homes for Mentally Retarded Children
As per Section 2   of Juvenile Justice  Act, 2015 , a child who is mentally ill or mentally or physically challenged or suffering from terminal or incurable disease, having no one to support or look after or having parents or guardians unfit to take care, if found so by the Board or the Committee is included as a “child in need of care and protection”, among others. The primary responsibility of execution of the Act lies with the State/UTs. However, Central Government is managing Integrated Child Protection Scheme  now “Child Protection Services” under Integrated Child Development Scheme, and providing financial assistance to the States/UTs including Punjab on sharing pattern for, inter-alia, undertaking a situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances, for setting up and maintenance of various types of Child Care Institutions . Under the scheme institutional care is provided through CCIs, as a rehabilitative measure. The scheme provides additional financial support to the CCIs having children with special needs i.e. children who are either affected by substance abuse or who are mentally or physically challenged. Scheme provides for purchase of specialisedequipments and materials like Psychological test materials, training materials for speech and language, teaching materials wheel chairs, crèches, etc. In these CCIs, children are provided age appropriate education either within the institution or outside in a formal education system through convergence with other schemes and programs of the Government or civil society. However, as per the information provided by the State/UT Governments, as on date, the number of Child Care Institutions  registered under the Juvenile Justice  Act, 2000/2015 in the country which are being supported under the ICPS, is given below:
The number of CCIs having children with special needs run by the State/UTs along with the number of beneficiaries and supported under ICPS as on 31.03.2018.
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CCIs having children with special needs
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192
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Beneficiaries Boys/ Girls
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5145
Under Section 54 ,  &  of the JJ Act, the State Governments are required to appoint inspection Committees for the State and district for mandatory inspection of all facilities housing children, at least once in three months. Such inspection committees shall mandatorily conduct visits to all facilities housing children in the area allocated, at least once in three months in a team of not less than three members, of whom at least one shall be a woman and one shall be a medical officer, and submit reports of the findings of such visits within a week of their visit, to the District Child Protection Units or State Government, as the case may be, for further action. On the submission of the report by the inspection committee within a week of the inspection, appropriate action shall be taken within a month by the District Child Protection Unit or the State Government and a compliance report shall be submitted to the State Government.
This information was given by Union Minister for Women and Child Development, SmtManeka Sanjay Gandhi in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
AKR/NG/SK
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